The Minute With Molly series started with a simple question: How can we raise compassionate children? Honestly, it’s enough to make parents want to pull their own hair out. The p’s and q’s of etiquette are easy. We can remind... read more

The television turns on with the flick of a switch, its noise a reassuring blare in the house. It may not be the most engaging entertainment for your child, but you can relax knowing that he will wind down for bed during the time it takes for Elmo, Burt, and Ernie to... read more

It’s the ordinariness of it that hurts the most, like finding something poisonous crawling in soft flower petals. We drop off our children at school with quick kisses and chiding reminders to go directly home after the bell rings. As we drive away, we... read more

There’s something to be said about the peace of a slow weekend sunrise, the calm of a relaxed Saturday morning. On these days, you pass through the early hours with a smile clinging to the edges of your mouth and eyes, feeling sure that the contentment you feel... read more

For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne, we’ll take a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne. -Robert Burns Another year has come, gone, and come again. As we bid farewell to 2017 and turn our thoughts towards 2018, we begin to reflect on the... read more

Like childhood bullies, adult abusers often have low self-esteem and belittle others to make themselves feel powerful; they will not curb their behaviors unless someone holds them accountable. Unlike children, however, adult bullies rarely resort to physicality when they dominate. Instead, they use subtler, spoken forms of manipulation and harassment such as: demanding their victim purchase food or items with no recompense, rolling their eyes whenever their target attempts to talk, gossiping about a specific coworker when they aren’t around, or being overly critical of another’s actions and appearance. With the rise of Facebook and Twitter, some victims are unable to physically escape harassment or confront anonymous abusers about their behavior. Regardless of whether it occurs online or in-person, bullying ultimately leads to poor work performance, low self-esteem, and even depression on the victim’s part.

Autumn has come again. As the leaves change and the weather cools, the evenings increasingly lend themselves to relaxing nights with family, sipping hot apple cider and enjoying the warmth of each other’s company. Thanksgiving is just around the corner; Christmas, just a stretch further. The holiday season is almost upon us, bringing with it the promise of joyful family gatherings and the delight of shared traditions to come. But sometimes, these would-be celebrations can bring out a less kind, less joyful side in all of us.

Consider this: According to documents published by the California Department of Education, children begin imitating their caretakers’ behaviors at as young as eight months old. However, a child growing up in our media-centric culture doesn’t live in a bubble. Like tiny sponges, our children take in behavioral cues from their parents, teachers, classmates, and even those they see on television – and increasingly, the actions they see modeled are far off from the ones parents want them to learn.

The room is all but silent; captivated by the speaker at the raised stage at its head. He takes a moment to pause, allowing the audience to take in the poignancy of his last statement, and as he draws breath for his next words, listeners wait with bated breath to hear... read more